The News We Were Following This Week

Teens Are Overloading on Caffeine:
We're all on board with questioning how healthy energy drinks are, but how about coffee? A report published in the journal Pediatrics found that teenagers are consuming almost twice the amount of caffeine from coffee than they were 10 years ago. Younger kids are increasingly getting a caffeine jolt from coffee as well. The study found that a whopping 73% of children consume caffeine daily. Turns out, however, that caffeine consumption overall has remained stagnant in the past decade — teens and tweens are drinking less caffeinated sodas.

Most Popular

Modernizing Women's Portrayal in Stock Photos:
This Monday, Sheryl Sandberg announced a partnership between her nonprofit organization, Leanin.org, and Getty Images, one of the largest stock photo providers. The Facebook Executive and author of Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead is advocating for a new collection of stock photos that portray women in a more professional, modern light (anyone that's ever googled "stock photos of women eating salad" will agree).

Ban Sought on Microbeads in Beauty Products:
Did you know that those little microbeads in your facial scrub and exfoliating skincare products are polluting waters and poisoning fish? This week, lobbyists began seeking a ban on the skin-smoothing plastic beads. The beads get past processing at water treatment plants, ending up in oceans and lakes — and getting coated with toxins like PCBs. Scientists suggest that these toxins are being consumed by marine life and could be making their way up the food chain to humans. The lawmakers' first stop? New York State.

Styrofoam Gets Expelled From Major Schools:
Six large school districts across the nation have joined forces to make environmentally friendly resolutions for their cafeterias. The Urban School Food Alliance (consisting of Miami, Dallas, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Orlando) just passed their first initiative: phasing out standard styrofoam for recyclable lunch trays, made from sugarcane byproduct. They will be making their debut in participating schools this fall.

New Stroke Guidelines Released:
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association released stroke guidelines designed specifically for women for the first time. Because females face gender-specific issues (including increased blood pressure during pregnancy, the use of birth control pills, and other hormonal/lifestyle factors) that put them at risk for having a stroke, it's important that these factors are recognized in prevention plans.

Kraft Eliminates Preservatives from Its Slices:
Kraft has announced that its five-year project is complete: The food manufacturer will be removing artificial preservatives from its individually wrapped cheese slices. The mega food company's mission is to win over the hearts of a consumer market increasingly interested in eating less artificial ingredients (without compromising taste and shelf-life). The change will affect Kraft's full-fat American and White American selections — the most popular lines. As advocates of greater food label examination, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute says kudos to Kraft.